Woodford Halse
Encyclopedia
Woodford Halse is a village about 6.5 miles (10.5 km) south of Daventry
in Northamptonshire
. It is in the civil parish of Woodford cum Membris
, which includes also village of Hinton
and hamlet of West Farndon
. Hinton and Woodford Halse are separated by the infant River Cherwell
and the former course of the Great Central Main Line
railway.
of Saint Mary the Virgin
include the chancel
, west tower and south doorway, which date from about 1300. The arcade
of the south aisle is 14th or 15th century.
St. Mary's has a ring
of six bells plus a sanctus bell. One of the Watts family of bell-founders
, who had foundries in Bedford
and Leicester
, cast four of the bells including the tenor in 1613. John Taylor & Co of Loughborough
cast a fifth in 1909 and the present treble in 1976.
St. Mary's parish is a member of the Benefice of Woodford Halse with Eydon
.
Woodford Halse has also a Moravian Church.
of farming around Woodford Halse was ended by enclosure. In 1848 Woodford Halse's principal landowners included Sir Henry E.L. Dryden, 7th Baronet and Sir Charles Knightley, 2nd Baronet.
In July 1873 the East and West Junction Railway (later part of the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway
) was opened through the parish. The line passed just over 1/2 mi south of the village but the nearest station on the line was at almost 2 miles (3 km) away.
On 15 March 1899 the Great Central Main Line from the north of England to London Marylebone was opened through the parish, using the valley of the River Cherwell to pass between Woodford Halse and Hinton. The GCR established a new station called , a four-way railway junction, a major locomotive depot and extensive marshalling yards. A plan to build carriage sheds here was not implemented, but between the old village and the new railway several rows of terraced houses for railway workers were built, together with a street of shops.
The Railway Hotel was built in 1900. By 1973 it had become Woodford Halse Social Club.
The parish's population eventually peaked at just under 2,000, at which time the village had its own cinema. The GCR main line was at times a busy route and the depot and yards at Woodford Halse were very active.
British Rail
ways renamed the station Woodford Halse on 1 November 1948. After the publication of the The Reshaping of British Railways
report BR closed the station, the main line and Banbury branch of the former GCR on 5 September 1966. All tracks and most railway buildings were dismantled. The population fell sharply as former railway workers left the parish, but new developments in later decades have since increased it. Where the GCR's line, depot and yards were sited is now a tree plantation and a small modern industrial estate, but evidence of the railway is still visible.
, the Fleur de Lys. Woodford Halse Church of England Primary School serves the parish. The school has one of the largest playing fields of any Northamptonshire school and holds an annual cross-country race, attracting over 700 competitors from more than thirty schools. The village has several shops and businesses. Regular social events include the Annual Christmas Street Fair and Summer Boat Races.
Daventry
Daventry is a market town in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of 22,367 .-Geography:The town is also the administrative centre of the larger Daventry district, which has a population of 71,838. The town is 77 miles north-northwest of London, 13.9 miles west of Northampton and 10.2...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
. It is in the civil parish of Woodford cum Membris
Woodford cum Membris
Woodford cum Membris is a civil parish in the English county of Northamptonshire.The three main settlements in the parish are:*Woodford Halse*Hinton*West Farndon...
, which includes also village of Hinton
Hinton, Northamptonshire
Hinton is a village about south of Daventry in Northamptonshire. The village is the largest settlement in the civil parish of Woodford cum Membris, the others being the village of Woodford Halse and hamlet of West Farndon.-History:...
and hamlet of West Farndon
West Farndon
West Farndon is a hamlet in the English county of Northamptonshire.It is a mile south-west of the villages of Hinton and Woodford Halse, in the civil parish of Woodford cum Membris. The Jurassic Way long distance footpath passes through West Farndon....
. Hinton and Woodford Halse are separated by the infant River Cherwell
River Cherwell
The River Cherwell is a river which flows through the Midlands of England. It is a major tributary of the River Thames.The general course of the River Cherwell is north to south and the 'straight-line' distance from its source to the Thames is about...
and the former course of the Great Central Main Line
Great Central Main Line
The Great Central Main Line , also known as the London Extension of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway , is a former railway line which opened in 1899 linking Sheffield with Marylebone Station in London via Nottingham and Leicester.The GCML was the last main line railway built in...
railway.
Churches
The earliest parts of the Church of England parish churchChurch of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of Saint Mary the Virgin
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
include the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
, west tower and south doorway, which date from about 1300. The arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
of the south aisle is 14th or 15th century.
St. Mary's has a ring
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
of six bells plus a sanctus bell. One of the Watts family of bell-founders
Bellfounding
Bellfounding is the casting of bells in a foundry for use in churches, clocks, and public buildings. A practitioner of the craft is called a bellmaker or bellfounder. The process in Europe dates to the 4th or 5th century. In early times, when a town produced a bell it was a momentous occasion in...
, who had foundries in Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
and Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, cast four of the bells including the tenor in 1613. John Taylor & Co of Loughborough
Loughborough
Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
cast a fifth in 1909 and the present treble in 1976.
St. Mary's parish is a member of the Benefice of Woodford Halse with Eydon
Eydon
Eydon is a village and civil parish in South Northamptonshire, England. It is about north-east of Banbury. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 422.-Buildings:...
.
Woodford Halse has also a Moravian Church.
Economic history
In 1758 the open field systemOpen field system
The open field system was the prevalent agricultural system in much of Europe from the Middle Ages to as recently as the 20th century in some places, particularly Russia and Iran. Under this system, each manor or village had several very large fields, farmed in strips by individual families...
of farming around Woodford Halse was ended by enclosure. In 1848 Woodford Halse's principal landowners included Sir Henry E.L. Dryden, 7th Baronet and Sir Charles Knightley, 2nd Baronet.
In July 1873 the East and West Junction Railway (later part of the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway
Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway
The Stratford Upon Avon & Midland Junction Railway was a small independent railway company which ran a line across the empty, untouched centre of England. It visited the counties of Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and a little of Buckinghamshire, only existing as the SMJR from 1909 to...
) was opened through the parish. The line passed just over 1/2 mi south of the village but the nearest station on the line was at almost 2 miles (3 km) away.
On 15 March 1899 the Great Central Main Line from the north of England to London Marylebone was opened through the parish, using the valley of the River Cherwell to pass between Woodford Halse and Hinton. The GCR established a new station called , a four-way railway junction, a major locomotive depot and extensive marshalling yards. A plan to build carriage sheds here was not implemented, but between the old village and the new railway several rows of terraced houses for railway workers were built, together with a street of shops.
The Railway Hotel was built in 1900. By 1973 it had become Woodford Halse Social Club.
The parish's population eventually peaked at just under 2,000, at which time the village had its own cinema. The GCR main line was at times a busy route and the depot and yards at Woodford Halse were very active.
British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways renamed the station Woodford Halse on 1 November 1948. After the publication of the The Reshaping of British Railways
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
report BR closed the station, the main line and Banbury branch of the former GCR on 5 September 1966. All tracks and most railway buildings were dismantled. The population fell sharply as former railway workers left the parish, but new developments in later decades have since increased it. Where the GCR's line, depot and yards were sited is now a tree plantation and a small modern industrial estate, but evidence of the railway is still visible.
Amenities
The village has a public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, the Fleur de Lys. Woodford Halse Church of England Primary School serves the parish. The school has one of the largest playing fields of any Northamptonshire school and holds an annual cross-country race, attracting over 700 competitors from more than thirty schools. The village has several shops and businesses. Regular social events include the Annual Christmas Street Fair and Summer Boat Races.